On 2012-08-16 06:36, Kill Devil wrote:To the folks who have taste tested the new vs old LH151: did you take it straight, on the rocks, in a cocktail? Never been in the habit of trying it head-on myself. Do the same tasting rules apply for the hi-test hooch as well? Just wondering.

On 2012-08-18 20:19, Limbo Lizard wrote:I'd keep re-filling it with the new LH151. The power of suggestion, still pouring from the yellow label bottle - might trick your mind into not noticing any deficiencies in the new.

Heheheh, I hadn't thought of that!

Today is the much-anticipated delivery day, I may be able to test as soon as tonight. Lots of good suggestions have been posted here. I will post my tasting result.

Sorry it took me a minute to reply. Trader Morts in shelter island right before you get to Bali Hai. They just restocked, it is the red label 151, but they also found the regular Lemonhart with the tan label. I was really excited about that. I believe that the red label is not the same as the original, but I hope it is close. At least someone is keeping it alive...

On 2012-08-20 13:33, lunavideogames wrote:Sorry it took me a minute to reply. Trader Morts in shelter island right before you get to Bali Hai. They just restocked, it is the red label 151, but they also found the regular Lemonhart with the tan label. I was really excited about that. I believe that the red label is not the same as the original, but I hope it is close. At least someone is keeping it alive...

[ This Message was edited by: lunavideogames 2012-08-20 13:34 ]

Does anyone know if Trader Morts usually stocks Lemonheart? I picked some up yesterday and that was the first time I ever noticed it there. I don't go there on a very consistant basis so it's possible they are just out when I've stopped by in the past.

Yeah, I go here every few months to grab it. I always ask if they are out if they are going to keep carrying it. The owner tells me that they will. I don't know about the regular but the 151 for sure. This was the first time that they had the non 151, and this special display was just for Tiki Oasis. They try to be very tiki friendly by carrying mugs and mixers and a few other items. They get a lot of publicity from the tiki magazine.

For what it's worth, it sounds like the southern California distributor for Lemon Hart and El Dorado ran across some old stock of LH 80 and it's popping up here and there. I bought 6 bottles this afternoon today at Van Nuys Wine & Liquor Depot, and it sounded like they had a little more. It might be a good time to check around if you're missing the 80.

My initial reaction to this video was "Well, of course they are not going to say it tastes different or is not as good as the original; Edward imports it, and Martin uses it in his drinks."
However, recently I was able to score a bottle of the new red label and did a side by side comparison myself. The results? These guys were right on the mark. There is virtually no difference, or as Martin put it: "indistinguishable."
The red label is slightly lighter in color, and there is a minute...VERY minute difference in taste, but as Edward pointed out, this is a batch product and would probably have slight differences between batches anyways. To me, there is just no way you would ever be able to taste the difference in a mixed drink.
So, rest assured, the new LH151 is just as good as the old LH151. Now, it's time for a Zombie!

I have a friend who will be in New Port Beach, Orange County over the next couple of days. He’s offered to bring a couple of bottles of Lemon Hart 151 back to Australia. (Lemon Hart is unavailable here in Oz.)

Do any Californian natives know if there’s a liquor store close by that would stock Lemon Hart? It looks like he’ll be close to Fashion Island(?) on Santa Barbara Drive.

Jimmy, If your friend doesn't manage to bring any of the good stuff back for you, check eBay for a seller from Germany who will ship LH151 to Australia. I ordered 2 bottles last year and they were shipped marked as "collectibles" which managed to slipped through through the mail without me having to pay any duty.

On 2012-12-12 01:26, Kane Tiki wrote:...check eBay for a seller from Germany who will ship LH151 to Australia. I ordered 2 bottles last year and they were shipped marked as "collectibles" which managed to slipped through through the mail without me having to pay any duty.

I did something like this in October when I found a German reseller who shipped a large box of very well-packed 750ml Grassl gentian liqueur bottles to me. Their Lemon Hart prices are very high, however, but no duties where charged, and I was amazed that I pulled off buying things which I could not find in stock anywhere in the US. (I looked around alot!) The only downside was that their web site was a bit difficult to use, but their order accuracy and their customer service was superb. They also threw in some small bottles of other products as freebies. I didn't find this reseller through eBay but found them in my Google search results and gave it a shot.

You can ask for "neutral packaging" so that everything arrives in a plain white box, although they seem to know to do that automatically when shipping overseas. Be careful when you read the cost calculations. I believe they do *not* charge foreign customers the 19% VAT (tax) and this can be confusing. I found that in October they quoted two prices for my products - I qualified for a discounted price by "paying in advance" with a credit card, and I still don't understand exactly how that happened, and I *do* speak the language pretty well. But it was completely worth the effort for me. Your mileage may vary. But this merchant made it happen for me, at a reasonable price for my personal indulgence, and I am a very happy customer.

Hope this helps someone else who is looking for hard-to-get stuff...

Sidenote - if you've never had high-quality gentian root liqueur (Grassl is the smoothest and best, bar none, in my opinion) then you should know that the flavor is very unique. Definitely very "earthy" in a very good sort of way, and it *may* lend itself to some sort of tiki cocktail although I havent tried yet. It has a pleasant aftertaste which develops and lingers in the mouth for an amazing length of time. It can strike you as a bit strange the first time you taste it, but if it does capture the attention of your palate, you're probably going to be hooked for life. I know I am...